


Caves of Ice

by tringrin



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Mild Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-02 09:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8662945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tringrin/pseuds/tringrin
Summary: On a mission to Ecopoint: Antarctica, Mei and Junkrat find themselves in an icy situation.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fic for the Overwatch fandom so comments and feedback and the like are greatly appreciated :) Enjoy

“Freeze! Don’t move!” Mei chucked the blizzard drone in the middle of a crowd of a dozen Talon agents that were currently attempting to eliminate her. A gust of wind and snow emitted from the drone and engulfed the Talon agents into a frozen state that would soon lead to their demise. Mei aimed her blaster and sent out a string of sharp icicles, penetrating the now-statues, making them burst into millions of shards of ice.

With a smirk on her face and a light chuckle, Mei blew on the steaming blaster with pride. She had taken care of all the evil Talon agents in the area, now it was time for her to find her way back to the ecopoint.

There had been reports of strange behavior going on at the ecopoint in Antarctica which turned out to be Talon trying to obtain sensitive information regarding Overwatch and it’s recall. The agents of Overwatch were sent to sabotage Talon’s plans and rid the area of their members.

Mei was anxious when Winston announced over the Watchpoint’s intercom that she was chosen for this mission. She hadn’t been to the ecopoint since she had awoken from her cryostasis. Her head had suddenly begun flooding with the bitter memories of being trapped in that cold base, hibernating for years, and then awaking to find all of her co-workers dead. Every time it crossed her mind, she could almost feel the cold that she had felt all those years ago icing over her heart again. Mei hadn’t said a word to Winston or anybody else about her thoughts, nor protested about being chosen for the mission despite her anxiety. The world was at stake, and it was more important than her personal feelings.

Mei began to make her way back to towards the base. She had wandered a lot farther from the ecopoint than everyone else had. The area needed a deep scouring of Talon agents, and she was really the only one who knew their way around. Mei stepped carefully through the snow and ice, listening hard for anymore enemies who could try and sneak up on her. She clutched her blaster tight and concentrated on remaining vigilant as she moved through the narrow crevasses of the mountains.

Suddenly, Mei heard the echo of an explosion coming from not too far from where she was. Stopping in her tracks, she whipped her head around in all directions.

“Who’s there?!” She said sharply, a wisp of steam escaping from her lips.

Her breath hitched in her throat and a surge of anxiety ran up her spine. She clenched her fist around her blaster and began to run in the direction of the base. The sound of a second explosion echoed over the mountains, making Mei pick up the pace, snow and ice crunching under her heavy boots.

A loud cackle came from above, as did another explosion. Mei looked up to the sky and her eyes went half-lidded in annoyance when she found the source of all those previous explosions.

Jamison “Junkrat” Fawkes. The filthiest, most obnoxious, no-good bully that Mei had ever met. When she found out that he was also chosen to participate for this mission, Mei’s eyes almost rolled out of her skull. She couldn’t stand Jamison. The two have never gotten along. Most of their interactions consisted of Junkrat being a salacious goofball and Mei retorting in annoyance.

He stood atop a small ridge in the mountain, his gear spread out on the ground. He noticed Mei down below and gave her a wave with his orange robotic arm. “G’day, Mei!”

“Jamison, what do you think you are doing?” She called out, her gloved hands on her hips.

“Takin’ advantage of this new environment, snowball,” he replied. “It’s perfect for blowin’ things up!”

“This is no time to be messing around! We are on a mission!” Talon could be terrorizing the others on the team right that very second. They could not afford to waste time, especially over Junkrat and his shenanigans.

“I dare those Talon cunts to get even in eyeshot of me,” he said smugly. “I’ll blow ‘em to bits.” With that, Junkrat chucked a grenade off of the ridge and watched as it exploded, sending smoke and chunks of ice flying into the air.

Mei tried keeping her balance as the ground shook beneath her. “You need to be careful in the mountains. You could start an avalanche!”

“Avalanche smavalanche. You worry too much, snowball.”

Mei clenched her fist. “Ugh, you are so-”

Before she could finish her sentence, a string of bullets flew past, just centimeters from her face, making her stumble and fall backwards onto the ice.

Talon agents. Junkrat’s reckless acts probably led them right to them.

Disoriented, Mei struggled to get back up on her feet as more and more bullets rained in her direction. Using her blaster, Mei put an ice wall between her and the agents that were charging towards her. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she took off running back in the direction she came from. Her breath picked up as she continued to panic, as well as curse Junkrat’s name.

_Stupid junker._

Mei stopped in her tracks as a Talon agent appeared in front of her, his gun pointed directly to her face.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The agent growled from beneath his mask. Mei took a step back but found that another agent was standing guard behind her, with two more closing in on both sides of her. They were all dressed in black clothing, tightly holding their assault rifles against their chests.

She was surrounded.

Mei held her blaster up to freeze the Talon agents in hopes of a quick escape, until one of the agents shot her blaster from her grasp. They stepped on the shoddy remains of the blaster with their heavy boot, metal and glass crunching against the ice and rendering Mei’s blaster ultimately useless.

Mei cowered in fear with no way to defend herself. _This was it. This was her demise._

_At least it was in a means to fight for the world._

Clenching her fists and closing her eyes, Mei braced for the impact as the Talon agent held his gun up to her forehead.

“Fire in the hole!”

Junkrat’s outburst made Mei’s eyes shoot open and the Talon agents whirl their head arounds in confusion.

“Look out!” one of the agents screamed and dashed away from the group. Mei looked up and saw one of Junkrat’s infamous tires tearing its way down the side of the steep mountain, heading directly for the agents who were surrounding Mei… and Mei herself.

Mei’s eyes widened as the tire grew closer and closer with every half second. The Talon agents split off in several directions, while Mei scrambled for cover.

“Don’t worry, snowball, I’ve gotcha!”

Mei was tackled to the ground, being thrown feet away from where she originally was. Junkrat lay on top of her, squeezing her tight as they braced for the impact. Mei lied there stunned, feeling Junkrat’s warm breath on her neck as he held her down and the ground shook from the eventual explosion, followed by the screams of the Talon agents.

Their surroundings grew quiet, then Junkrat lifted himself up off of Mei.

Mei, dazed from shock, sat up and looked up at Junkrat who had risen to his feet. She breathed in the cold air heavily, trying to catch her breathe that was lost due to all of Junkrat’s weight being on top of her.

“Jamison, you… saved my life. Thank you….”

“All in a day’s work, sheila.” Junkrat held out his robotic arm to help Mei up from the icy ground. “Let’s get back to the ship, yeah? It’s too goddamn cold out here for me.” Junkrat took one step with his peg leg, and a deep crack in the ice formed from below.

Junkrat furrowed his brows and poked at the crack with his prosthetic. “What the…”

A rumbling came from above and Mei’s stomach dropped. Her eyes drifted above to where a slew of ice and snow were tumbling from greatest heights of the mountains.

“Jamison, it’s an avalanche! We need to get to cover!” She took his living hand and began to run, darting between chunks of ice that plumetted from above.

“Wait, we need to go back!”

“We can't go back now, are you crazy?” Mei’s eyes darted around the area and she noticed an opening in the side of the mountain about five feet wide and god knows how many feet deep. The only thing that mattered to her was that it was human-sized and was adequate cover from the falling snow and ice.  

“In here!” She ordered, still grasping Junkrat’s hand. The two dashed over the cracking ice and, without thinking, dove into the opening in the side of the mountain.

Mei let go of Junkrat’s hand and collapsed on the ground as soon as she got a safe distance in the cave. Mei sat up and in shock, watched as the opening of the cave became smaller and smaller as more snowy debris fell from above.

And soon, there was no opening.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! Please leave comments and feedback and such :)

“I cannot BELIEVE you,” Mei shouted, pounding with her fists on the thick layer of ice that sealed the opening of the cave. “I told you not to use your explosives and you do it anyway! And now we are trapped!” The respect she had for Junkrat just a few moments before when he’d saved her life had disappeared into thin air.  
  
“Chill out, snowball,” Junkrat said nonchalantly.  
  
“ _Chill out_ ? This is not a situation where I can _chill out_. We are trapped in an ice cave!”

“I don’t know why you’re being so damn dramatic. You should be grateful that I saved your life.”  
  
“Well I’d rather have died than be trapped in here with you!”

Junkrat rolled his eyes. If it weren’t for his thick skin, that would have hurt his feelings. Mei’s negative feelings towards him and the fact that, well, she hated him, was amusing to Junkrat at first. Teasing her and watching her tiny self get angry and red in the cheeks was fun and - _dare he say it_ \- adorable. But now it was getting less adorable and more irritating.

“Don’t you have any of your-” Mei gestured with her hands as she tried to find the words to say. “Some of your bombs with you? To help blow an opening in the ice or something?”

“No can do, sheila.”

“Why not?!”

“Because I left them all at the top of the ridge when I was trying to save you.” Junkrat kicked back against the wall and stared up at the icy ceiling decorated with frozen spikes. “They’re probably a long ways deep under all that snow and ice by now. Nnn, what a shame.”

 _There’s really no way out?_ Mei thought. Oh gosh. There was no way out and she was trapped here with _Junkrat_ of all people.

Mei backed up against the ice wall, slid down onto the floor and curled into a ball. Mei wasn’t a crier, but with so much happening in so little time, she just had to let it out. She had a bad feeling about coming back to Antarctica in the first place, and as soon as she did she ended up in the same situation she was in the last time she was here. But this time she wasn’t sure if she was going to make it out alive. There was no communication devices, no food, no cryostasis machines. Just her, Junkrat, and the icy cave that surrounded them.

Junkrat glanced over at Mei as the sound of sniffles echoed and bounced off the walls of the cave. Poor thing. A part of him wanted to comfort her, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it.

“Uhh…” Junkrat slid on his bottom a few feet to where Mei was. “You alright mate?”

Mei didn’t answer. She ignored Junkrat and continued crying into her mittens.

“There, there,” he said softly and patted Mei on the back. “It’ll be okay.”

“Don’t touch me,” she said sharply.

“Sheesh. Alright then.” Junkrat kept his hands away and scooted away back to his original spot. Mei cried for a few more moments, her sobs becoming gradually quieter until her tears were no more. Mei unfurled from her ball, her eyes red and puffy. She felt idiotic for crying - it’s not like it was going to help the situation. The air was tense and awkward, but Mei eventually broke the silence.

“Um, I guess…” she muttered. “We just wait until Winston and the others come and find us?”

“Seems like the only option we have,” Junkrat replied. “I’m sure they’ll get to us soon. What with the tracking devices that senior command implanted at the base of our brains and all.”

“What?!” Mei’s hand flew to the back of her neck. “How is that even poss-”

“Jokes, snowball.” Junkrat smirked amusingly. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if it were actually true.”

Mei crossed her arms and scowled. “You are such a nuisance.”

“I’ve been called worse.”

Mei didn’t reply. She sat with her knees curled up to her chest and sighed.

 _Please come soon, team_ , she thought.

* * *

 

Hours passed with not a sign of the team coming to the two heroes’ rescue. Barely a word was said between Junkrat and Mei, they kept to themselves - neither one of them having the energy to engage in their usual bickering.

“Jesus, it’s so damn cold,” Junkrat murmured to himself. He crossed his arms over his bare torso to try and keep himself warm. His arms were covered with goosebumps and his teeth chattered viciously. He cursed himself for not bringing anything to the damn _Arctic_ to keep him warm. His eyes wandered over to Mei who looked warm in her large, puffy get-up.

Mei noticed his gaze. His pitiful display made her contemplate on giving him her coat. She didn’t want him to freeze to death. Yes, he got on her nerves, but he was still her teammate. Plus the teeth chattering was getting irritating.

She sighed. “Do you… want my coat?” Mei asked hesitantly.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Junkrat said with a sly smile.

Mei undid her large belt that was tightly wound around her waist and pulled the coat up over her head. Underneath she donned a thick long sleeved shirt that she hoped would suffice for the next hour or two.

“Here. Do not get it dirty please.” Mei flung the coat over to Junkrat’s corner. He caught it with his robotic hand and quickly put it on to regain warmth.

“Ooo, that hits the spot,” Junkrat said, instantly feeling warm. Mei’s body heat combined with the soft fluffy lining of her coat was the perfect mix to warm Junkrat’s cold bones. Mei’s smell clung to the jacket, Junkrat noticed. It was a distinctive smell of vanilla, laundry detergent, and outside. Not too bad of a combo. With the mixture of warmth and Mei’s smell, Junkrat imagined Mei snuggled up beside him, but quickly pushed that thought down to the depths of hell. What was he thinking? Mei wouldn’t touch him with a ten foot pole, much less cuddle with him.

Junkrat admitted to himself a long time ago that he had a slight crush on Mei. It wasn’t anything serious, he just always wondered how she could be so damn cute. He teased her as a method of flirting, but it was obvious that it never worked. Which worked out perfectly fine for him, there was no purpose of romance in his life in the first place.

He watched as she sat curled up in her own corner, shivering. Her eyelids fluttered like she was attempting to fight sleep.

 _Maybe I should ask her_ , Junkrat thought.

_Nah._


	3. Chapter 3

“I have come to the conclusion that we are going to die in here,” Junkrat declared.

“Jamison, don’t talk like that.”

“Wh-what am I s-supposed to say when W-Winston and the cunt c-crew haven’t f-found us yet?” Junkrat’s teeth chattered; he was so cold he could barely even speak coherent sentences.

“Give it some time,” Mei said. She presumed that they had been trapped for at least ten hours - but at this point she wasn’t sure if they had much time left. She noticed the symptoms of hypothermia in both her and Junkrat begin to set in. Not good.

“How about this...” she began, going back over all the methods she had used all those years about when she was trapped at the ecopoint. The only idea that came to mind for this situation was… well…

“We could…. huddle together for warmth?”

“Is this the real Mei-Ling Zhou asking me to _cuddle_?” Junkrat smirked. “I knew you’d come around someday, sweet pea.”

Mei’s cheeks grew a deep red. “You know I do not mean like that. The only reason I would suggest huddling with _you_ is if it were a life or death situation.”

“Today’s the lucky day then.” Junkrat opened up Mei’s jacket that he was wearing and spread his long arms out wide. “Come and get iiiit.” He rocked his hips side to side, making Mei roll her eyes.

“Don’t be crude,” she said in annoyance. Mei stood up from her corner of the cave. Her legs wobbled and she shivered, almost stumbling and falling from the cold. She dropped to her knees in front of Junkrat and hesitated before slumping into his arms.

 _Only so we won’t freeze to death_ , Mei assured herself. Her head lay on his bare left shoulder and she brought her knees up to her chest so she was a little ball in Junkrat’s lap. Junkrat closed the jacket and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close against his bare torso.

 _God, she was so warm_.

Mei’s heat soothed the frigidness of Junkrat’s torso. He tried subtly tightening his arms around her and he tried to bring her even closer against his skin. _Mei in my arms_ , he thought. _Who would’ve thunk it._

There was an awkward silence that fell over them for a few minutes, none of them saying a single word until Junkrat broke the silence.

“You’re, uh, really warm,” he said and in his mind kicked himself for saying something so stupid.

“Thank you,” Mei replied. “You’re…. warm too.”

“Surprised we’re even in this position,” Junkrat said. “Considering how much you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Mei murmured. “I think you are annoying sometimes and a bit too rowdy but… I don’t hate you.”

“That’s a first,” he said. Junkrat wasn’t exactly the most likeable person on the planet and he knew that.

“Do you hate me?” Mei asked back.

“I don’t,” he said. How could he hate something so cute and soft? As ravaged as he was, he wasn’t a monster. “If I hated you then you’d be out there blown to bits like those Talon cunts.”

Mei giggled softly, making Junkrat smile. Hearing her laugh in this shit situation warmed his heart. He wasn’t one for sappy shit but _goddamn_.

“Glad we talked about it,” he said. As he began to lose feeling in his fingers and toes, he was glad he could die knowing that at least one person didn’t hate him.

Mei shifted in his lap. She could feel herself growing fonder Junkrat as moments passed with the two still pressed against each other. It had been a long time since she had been embraced in such a way. It felt good. And it also made her catch some feelings that had been floating in the air for a while.

 _This wasn’t supposed to happen_ , she thought. _This was supposed to be so we wouldn’t freeze to death, not to develop a stupid crush_. But a part of her just couldn’t help it. She knew deep down past his filthy exterior, inappropriate jokes, and relentless teasing, that there was a kind soul inside of him. Even if it was annoying half the time.

“Jamie… how do you feel about me?”

“What? Is this the part where we start talking about our feelings?”

Mei’s eyes widened. “No, no. Not if you do not want to…”

He couldn’t. Junkrat was not the type to get all in his feelings. Not one bit. It took him ages to come to terms that he had a crush on Mei and he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself admitting to Mei herself.

“Yeah, sorry…I’m not really a talk-about-my-feelings typa bloke.”

“Oh.” Mei sounded disappointed.

“Don’t let it get ya down, snowball. It’s nothing personal.”

“Yeah, I know.”

The two grew quiet again.

“Just know that…” Junkrat choked on his words. “Behind all the jokes and mad shit I really do care for you, Mei.”

“Thanks,” she said, in a grateful shock that Junkrat was really showing his softer side. “I... really care about you too, Jamie. I didn’t thank you earlier but… I really appreciate you saving my life. That was really brave of you.”

“All in a day’s work, snowball.” He patted her with his robotic hand and held her close.

* * *

 

“Mei, wake up.”

“Nnnn?” Mei creaked open her eyes. “What is it?”

“Your lips are blue,” he said. “I’m no doctor or scientist but I don’t think that a good sign, mate.”

Mei lifted one hand and touched her lips. Ice cold and probably very blue. “It means that there is a... lack of oxygen… in the blood.”

“Fucking…. shit….” Hearing her say that gave him a bout of anxiety. His teeth chattered and his body was beyond numb. He couldn’t even feel Mei curled up on top of him anymore - and even she had lost most of her heat. His body had apparently abandoned its method of shivering to keep him warm. Now he could barely move.

“If-if the human body’s temperature re-reaches ninety-four degrees fahrenheit and below th-then death may occur,” Mei said, reciting the facts that she knew. “Jamie, I-I think you’re right.”

“Right about what?”

“That we’re going t-to die in here,” she said in a whisper. _Stupid Antarctica. Stupid Talon. Stupid mission._ She wishes she could’ve trusted her gut feeling when Winston announced she’d be going on this trip.

“Hush, don’t say that,” Junkrat murmured. “We’re gonna be okay, Mei.”

Mei blinked back tears that were burning in the back of her eyes. She wanted to believe him, but as her muscles tensed and she became more and more frigid and stiff as moments passed. The cold pierced her ears that were covered with her hair that she’d let out of its bun. The stiff air nibbled at her consciousness, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier until she closed them and couldn’t open them again.

“Mei?” Junkrat called out when she didn’t answer. “Mei, wake up.” He rocked his living arm slightly, trying to shake her awake. No response.

“Come on, snowball, this ain’t funny. Ya gotta wake up.”

Panic ensued deep in his core.

“Mei, you gotta… you gotta wake up. Fucking hell.”

Junkrat had never been so close to crying. Seeing Mei’s face, blue with freckles of frost on her eyelids - her pink lips a soft shade of blue. The rosiness of her cheeks was still there, and that gave Junkrat some hope that his teammate hadn’t just died in his arms.

He rocked Mei side to side, hoping that stimulating her would keep her alive. It took strength as he could barely move himself. He gave up after a few minutes, his muscles so frozen that he couldn’t move. His fingers and toes had gone completely numb - he couldn’t even move the fingers of his robotic arm or the knee joint of his peg leg. He grew weary and followed in the footsteps of Mei who still lied frozen in his arms.  
He closed his eyes and let the cold take what was left of him.


	4. Chapter 4

Mei wasn’t sure if she was alive or dead. She didn’t want to try and open her eyes in fear of what would be in front of them. Was she in Heaven? Was she in Hell? Was she still trapped in the ice cave?

Mei sensed a feeling of heat and light dancing behind her eyelids, but she still wouldn’t open them. The muffled sound of a soft voice was the only thing she could hear.

“Mei…? Mei, can you hear me?”

Mei forced open her eyes, light from above glaring her vision and making her shut them again. She let out a groan and opened her eyes again slowly. Mercy stood over her, the light from overhead giving her the look of an angel coming down from heaven.

“Mei, you’re awake.” Mercy smile. “You’re in the infirmary. We saved you and Jamison from the cold.”

Mei tried to nod but her neck muscles were stiff. So they survived after all.

“We are trying to get some warmth back into you. Your core temperature has been rising by the minute which is good. You’re recovering very quickly.” Mercy continued. “It's just hypothermia and a touch of frostbite. No worries.”

Mercy stood by Mei’s bed and explained to her what had happened while she was unconscious.

Shortly after losing consciousness, the two were found by their team. There had been reports of an avalanche while Junkrat and Mei had not showed up to the base. Worried sick, the team went out to search for the two. After finding Junkrat’s tire sitting in the snow, the team figured they were buried somewhere underneath.

For hours, they dug through the snow and ice to find the two heroes’ bodies lying in a cave. Junkrat lying against the wall with his legs out straight, and Mei curled up in his lap, lying against his chest. Both their faces were a pasty white, lips blue, faces cold and emotionless.

At first sight, both were initially thought to be dead, until Mercy, setting an ear on Junkrat’s chest, heard a faint heartbeat. So faint, she almost thought it was her own blood. Weak pulses and slowed heartbeats were found in both heroes, and Mercy ordered that they be rushed to the ship for treatment.

“Do you have any questions for me Mei? Can you speak?” Her brows furrowed in concern.

A sound emitted from the back of Mei’s throat. Her mind scrambled trying to piece together words and sounds to say what she needed to say.

“Where…..” Mei began slowly. “....is…. Jamison?”

Mercy looked surprised, then her expression grew solemn and she hesitated with her words. “Jamison is right here, Mei.” Mercy stepped over to the curtain dividing Mei and Junkrat’s beds and pulled it back to display Junkrat, lying unresponsive, yet still alive.

Mei felt tears well up in her eyes. “Will… will he be okay?”

“It's just taking slightly longer to get his temperature back up to normal.”

Mei bit her lip. She knew Dr. Ziegler was an exceptional doctor, but she couldn’t help having a deep sense of worry for Junkrat. He was thin and didn’t have much clothing on in the first place; the cold must have hit him the hardest.

Mercy closed the curtain after a few minutes. She excused herself from the infirmary room and went to her office to allow Mei to rest. But how could she rest when she knew Junkrat comatose just a few feet away from her?

_Why did she care so much?_

* * *

Night fell on Watchpoint: Gibraltar. Mercy had retreated to her dorm for the night - Junkrat and Mei left lying in the infirmary. Both were officially declared stable, but Mei was still worried about Junkrat. Earlier he had opened his eyes, but he didn’t say anything. Mercy said it was probably a bout of amnesia which is common with hypothermia, but it just made Mei’s heart hurt more.

Mei lied awake in her cot, unable to sleep. She felt like she had slept enough. All that filled her mind was Junkrat - his condition, their time spent in the cave together, the cuddling, and wonders as to why in the world her mind was so occupied with him.

On impulse, Mei pulled off the wires and cords that connected her to several machines. It took all the strength in her body, but she managed to lift herself out of her bed. Her joints felt rusted, like they hadn’t been used for years. When her feet met the floor, her legs wobbled violently and she grasped the edge of the cot for support. She stepped carefully the next few feet to the curtain that divided her and Junkrat.

There he lied in the dimmed light, sleeping soundly. His chest rose and fell almost in unison with the heart monitor that beeped with every heartbeat. Mei crept over the side of his bed, careful not to make to much noise that’ll wake him.

She pulled back the thick blanket that covered the lower half of Junkrat’s body. She crawled inside, pulled the blanket back up, and snuggled up close to him - careful not to disturb and of the wires that were attached to him. Laying on her side, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

Mei’s eyes snapped open when she felt him move. His living arm shifted underneath her, then came around and hugged her close to his body.

“Nnn.. you’re really warming up to me now, snowball?” Junkrat murmured, his voice raspy.

Mei’s eyes teared up when she heard the sound of his voice. “Jamison?”

“That’s me name.”

“Are you okay?”

“Besides a bloke feeling as stiff as ol’ Jack? I’m fine.”

Mei craned her neck to look up at him. Junkrat lowered his eyes and gave her a wink.

“There a reason you’ve crawled into bed with me, snowball?”

“I wanted to warm you up.”

“Well, it certainly is warm. But I’m more confused as to when a day ago you wouldn’t have crawled into bed with me even if your life depended on it?”

“Maybe I feel differently now.”

“True,” he said. “Almost freezing to death changes people.”

Mei giggled. “No. I just realized that maybe you’re not all that bad.”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that.” Junkrat shifted to where he was lying on his side, facing Mei directly. “The cold really did a number on you.”

“I guess so.”

A smile rose on Junkrat’s face. “Ah, c’mere, snowball.” Junkrat put his arm around her and pulled her in close, their chests touching. Mei was afraid that he could feel her heartbeat, pounding so hard she was afraid it might beat out of her chest.

The two pulled apart a bit, enough to where they were looking at each other straight in the eye, their noses just centimeters from touching. Their eyes drifted down to each other’s lips, both wanting the same thing.

 _He’s my teammate… I can’t_ , Mei thought.

 _She can’t possibly feel that way about me_ , Junkrat thought.

Junkrat sighed, then put on a fake smile to conceal his dispiritedness. “Let’s get some sleep, yeah?”

“Yes,” Mei replied, a sense of sadness weighing down on her chest. “That would be best.”

“Night, Mei,” Junkrat said, as much as it pained him.

“Goodnight, Jamison.” Mei peeled the covers back and dismissed herself from Junkrat’s bed and his side of the room. She pulled the curtain back, dividing them again. She slid into her own bed and curled into a fetal position. Inside she felt empty, and only wanted to sleep with Junkrat pressed up against her and surrounded in warmth. For reasons she still didn’t know why.

Little did she know that on the other side of the curtain, Junkrat lied staring up at the ceiling wanting the same thing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay and the semi-short chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who's commented, your words mean a lot to me. The next chapter is going to be the last and then I'm going to start on a Meihem High School AU which I'm really excited for! Please enjoy and leave comments! :)

“Mei? Why are you disconnected from the monitors?” Mercy asked the morning after Mei snuck into Junkrat’s bed.

Mei’s eyes widened as she realized she hadn't connected herself back to the machines last night. “I…. I got out of bed to walk around a bit. I'm sorry.” Mei didn't like lying, but it was easier to explain than telling Mercy she was with Junkrat.

“Hmph. At least this is a sign that you are recovering well,” Mercy said. “Let me check your vitals and do some tests to see if you are well enough to be released.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Mercy looked over Mei and confirmed that she was well enough to be released from the infirmary. Junkrat still lied in his bed, having not awoken from his slumber yet. Mei looked at him with sad eyes as she left the infirmary and hoped with her whole heart that he would be okay.

* * *

Mei sat on the bed in her dorm. There were flowers set all over her room brought by her teammates, all worried about how she was doing and expressed how grateful they were that she had survived. Mei appreciated their acts of kindness, but she felt like she couldn't fully enjoy them - all she could worry about was Junkrat. She wasn't sure what exactly she felt for him. Maybe he was right - almost freezing to death does mess with your mind.

A knock on her door tore Mei away from her thoughts.

“Err… come in!” she called out.

The steel door slid open and there stood Tracer on the other side.

“Cheers, Mei. I just came to check in on you,” Tracer said with a small wave.

“Thank you so much, Lena,” Mei said. Tracer made her way inside of Mei’s room and took a seat next to her on her bed.

“Wow, they really went all out didn’t they?” Tracer said, in awe of how many pots and vases and bouquets of flowers were scattered all about Mei’s room.

“Everyone was really worried I guess.” Mei shrugged. Then she sighed. “Lena, can I talk to you about something?”

“Of course, love.”

“Promise not to laugh or tell any of the others?”

“Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.”

“Okay.” Mei sighed and looked at Tracer in her big brown eyes. “I think I love Jamison.”

Tracer’s eyes widened and her eyebrows drew together in confusion. “You’re talking about…  _ Junkrat _ Jamison right? The one you bicker with on the daily and claim he’s a no-good bully?”

Mei looked down at the floor, feeling her cheeks flush. “Yes.”

“What went on in that there cave that makes you say that all of a sudden?” Tracer asked.

“Nothing happened. I don’t know, I feel like being trapped in the cave together made us... connect in some way.” Mei didn’t know how to describe it. “We were huddled for warmth and we were talking and I just felt…  _ safe _ in his arms.” Mei then told Tracer about the night before where she snuck out of bed to lie with Junkrat and they had another moment. Tracer listened carefully, nodding, trying to understand Mei’s dilemma.

“Don’t overthink it too much, Mei. I just think you’ve got a crush is all.”

_ A crush? Was that it? Was it that simple? _

* * *

“Oi, Mako,” Junkrat called out, whom was sitting upright in his bed, not having been released from the infirmary yet. “Lemme ask you something, mate.”

“Go ahead,” Roadhog said calmly from behind his gas mask.

“I know we don’t really get into that mushy gushy shit and all but…” He scratched the back of his head. “Y’ever one of them crushes before? Like on a person?”

“Jamie, is there something you’re trying to tell me?” Roadhog asked, already aware of where this was going.

“No, ya cunt. Just answer the question.”

“I’m forty-eight years old, of course I’ve had a crush before.”

“How didja like…” Junkrat gestured with his hands trying to find the words to say. “Deal with it ‘n shit?”

“I simply told them that I liked them,” Roadhog said.

“Really? Simple as that?”

“You’re overthinking it, mate.”

On an impulse, Junkrat pulled off all the wires that connected him to the machines monitoring his vitals that stood next to his bed. He threw the covers off of him and attempted to get out of bed. His joints wobbled as he tried standing up and walking; he found that his limp due to his peg leg had gotten considerably worse as well. Despite everything, he ignored it. His main goal was to get to Mei as soon as possible.

“Jamie, what are you doing?” Roadhog asked.

“Going to tell them that I like them, what the hell else?”

“But Dr. Ziegler-”

“Tell her my insurance will take care of the bill!”

“You’re still in your robes as well,” Roadhog said, referring to the white gown Junkrat was wearing. Junkrat limped to the doorway, stumbling a bit due to his joints. But he persevered and headed towards the dormitories.

“Tell Mei that I said hello!” Roadhog called out after him.

* * *

Mei sat in front of Tracer, between her legs, as Tracer braided Mei’s hair.

“Mei, you have such beautiful hair,” Tracer said, weaving the dark strands of hair around each other.

“Nnn.. thank you, Lena,” Mei mumbled.

“Still have ol’ Jamie on your mind, love?”

“I do,” Mei said, looking sadly down at the floor.

“Don’t let it get you down, Mei. Just talk to him!” Tracer exclaimed. “You two were trapped in a cave together for god knows how long. It shouldn’t be that hard.”

“How do I even go about that?”

“Hmm…” Tracer stopped braiding for a moment and tapped on her chin. “Just tell him, love! I’m sure no harm would come of it.”

“But I’m just afraid… what if-” A banging on the door interrupted Mei’s sentence. Before she could even say come in, the door slid open and Junkrat stumbled into the room. He was panting as if he had just run a mile and he was still dressed in his hospital gown.

“Mei.. I…..” he gasped for air, dropping to his knees. “I need to talk to you.”

“Err… I’m guessing this is a sign for me to take my leave.” Tracer slid off of Mei’s bed, stepped around Junkrat and made her way to the door. “Good luck, Mei,” she whispered. Tracer winked and slid the door closed.

“Jamison, what is going on?” Mei asked, standing up from the bed. “Did you just get up and walk all the way to my room?”

“Ye, snowball. How else do you think I got here? By plane?”

Mei crossed her arms, a stern expression taking over her face. “If you’re going to be rude, then you can leave.”

“Mei, please, this is important.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked at her face. Her beautiful adorable perfect face. Her big brown eyes Junkrat almost lost himself in, and her pink lips were parted in awe of the situation. Junkrat lost the words he was going to say.

“I just…. I….. your hair looks really nice.”

“Oh…. thank you,” Mei said, touching the braid that hung over her shoulder. “Lena did it.”

“Also I,” Junkrat paused and shut his eyes and tightened his grip on Mei’s shoulders. He hung his head, in fear of what her expression would be when he would confess. “Mei, I….. I love you.”

There it was. Out in the open.

“You love me?”

“Yes, snowball! I love you!” Junkrat breathed a sigh of relief. “Damn, it feels good to say that.”

Tears welled in Mei’s eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. She threw her arms around Junkrat, pulling him into a tight hug. Her face was buried in his chest and Junkrat softly wrapped her arms around her.

“What’s the matter, snowball? Don’t cry, please. I can take rejection, I got thick skin.”

“No, it’s not that,” Mei said, her tears soaking into Junkrat’s gown. She swallowed and looked up at him, her chin lightly digging into his sternum. Junkrat looked down at her. Her eyes were puffy and pink and her cheeks were rosy and moist with tears.

“What is it snowball?” He asked softly.

“I love you too,” she said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Thank you everyone for reading! This chapter has NSFW content so read at your own discretion. Also keep an eye out for my next Meihem fic.

“You… you really mean it, snowball?” Junkrat’s hands slid from her shoulders down to where he held her hands in his.

“I do,” Mei said.

Junkrat raised his eyebrows. “Crikey, I never thought I’d get this far.” He took one hand away from Mei’s and scratched the back of his head. “Not exactly sure where to go from here.”

“Err, I’m not really sure what to do either honestly,” Mei admitted, wiping tears from her cheeks with her free hand. “I’ve never been in this situation before.”

“Neither have I.”

The two stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, just staring at each other.

“We could talk about it?” Mei suggested.

“Okay, talking sounds good,” Junkrat said. Mei sat on the edge of her bed, legs dangling above the floor. Junkrat followed suit, taking a seat next to her.

“So.” Junkrat tapped his peg leg on the floor. “You probably want an explanation as to why I suddenly came barging in here in a hospital gown proclaiming my love for you?”

Mei cracked a smile. “That’s a good start.”

“Oi, where do I start? You know I don’t do cheesy mushy gushy shit.” He took a deep breath, idly glancing around Mei’s room heavily decorated in flowers. “Damn, I just love ya, snowball. I know I mess with ya loads but it was… ya know? Outta love. You’re goddamn adorable when you’re pissed. Seems a bit douchey of me, but I’m just a junker, mate.”

His explanation seemed slightly thin, but Mei didn’t expect to receive anything extravagant. She was just touched that he said what he felt in his own genuine way.

“I guess it’s my turn,” Mei said. She bit her lip and hesitated, unsure of how to put her feelings into words. “When we were trapped in the cave and we…. Almost died… I feel like it made me realize how much I really cared for you. I know before I would always be so negative towards you but… I’d be devastated if anything ever happened to you.” Mei’s eyes began to fill with tears again. She laid her head on Junkrat’s shoulder and let out a sniffle. “God, why am I so emotional?” she wondered out loud. “I feel like I’m making a fool out of myself.”

“Nothin’ to be ashamed of, snowball. I’m touched.” Junkrat put his living arm around her and began to rock side to side in an attempt to soothe her. “Hey… shhh… stop all that crying.”

Mei released herself from Junkrat’s embrace and slid off of the bed. She needed a second to think.  _ What now? What in the world would come of this?  _ She stepped over to her nightstand and grabbed tissues from a tissue box and dabbed at her eyes and wiped her nose. She tossed the tissue into the wastebin next to the nightstand and climbed back on her bed. This time, she laid herself up against her pillows at the head of her bed. She stared at Junkrat who was still sitting on the edge of her bed who was staring back at her.

“Tired, snowball?” Junkrat commented.

“A bit,” she replied.

“Want me to leave?”

“No... “ she said. “Come lie with me.” She adjusted herself to make just enough room next to her for Junkrat to lay.

Without a word, Junkrat moved the rest of his body up on to the bed. He crawled up to the head of the bed and relaxed, lying down on his side next to Mei. She too lied on her side. They faced each other, looking into each other’s eyes - just like when they were in the infirmary together.

Mei’s chest felt heavy; the air between her and Junkrat was thick and she couldn’t breathe. Not with his lips so close to hers. She couldn’t take her eyes off of them. Junkrat put his hand on her cheek and began to move closer, his head sliding against the pillow.

Their noses touched, then their lips.

The heaviness in Mei’s chest shattered as she melted into Junkrat’s warm kiss. His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head, his metal fingers weaving themselves between the strands of Mei’s hair. The two came apart to catch their breaths just for a moment before crashing their lips together once more.

Deepening the kiss, Mei’s lips parted - her sweet taste filling Junkrat’s mouth. Junkrat let out a small hum and slid his hand from Mei’s hair down her back and onto the curve of her hip.  _ God, he wanted more. But…. _

“Jamie,” Mei breathed his name desperately after the two came apart again. “I need you.” She didn’t realized how  _ deprived _ she was. She needed him - she didn’t care in what way or form, but she knew she just needed him so much closer.

Junkrat smirked and pecked her on the lips. “You reading my mind, snowball?”

“Are you thinking about…?”

“Only if you want to, love,” Junkrat whispered and gave her another kiss. He tightened his hand that was placed on her hip and grinded himself against her just a bit. Mei bit her lip and let out a shaky breath. She wondered for a moment how sleeping with a teammate would affect the situation, but at the same time she didn’t care. She was in his arms and that was all that mattered to her at the moment.

“Yes, please,” she replied.

The next thing Mei knew was that in an instant she was being rolled onto her back and Junkrat’s lips were pressed onto her neck.

“Nnn…” Mei’s back arched slightly as he began to kiss and nibble on the skin just above her collarbone. His warm breath felt good against her skin and all she wanted was for him to be even closer.

Minutes later, clothes were thrown in a pile on the floor and the two were pressed together - skin against skin. Junkrat’s lips drifted from Mei’s collarbone down to her breasts where he bit and sucked on her nipples making Mei squirm and the feeling between her legs become more and more prominent.

“Jamie… please…”

“Shhh, love. I’ve got you.” Junkrat hoisted himself up on his elbows and onto his knees. He guided his living hand down over Mei’s curves. Down her breasts, her waist, her hips, her thighs, until he reached in between. Without saying a word, Mei opened her legs, exposing her need for him. Junkrat’s stomach flipped. It had been a while since he’d been intimate with someone. His mind began to race, realizing what he was about to do. He was surprised at how quickly that their love had turned to lust and how much Mei seemed to want him. But he wasn’t one to complain, especially when there was a beautiful woman beneath him waiting.

Mei closed her eyes as she felt him slide into her. Junkrat rested himself on his elbows and Mei wrapped her arms around his torso. Her arms tightened around him as his hips met hers, pulling him deeper inside of her.

Mei let out a soft moan as he started at a steady pace inside of her, his hips rocking back and forth and sending waves of euphoria through her. Junkrat tried to remember how to breathe as he felt Mei’s warmth around him and her nails digging into his back harder with every thrust he gave. The two shared a plethora of sloppy kisses, moaning against each other’s mouths and biting the other’s lip.

The two continued, indulging each other in passion.

Junkrat’s breath hitched in his throat and he let out a deep groan as he finally reached his limit. “Fuck, Mei…”

“Oh my god, Jamie… O-oh my god….” Mei’s back arched and her body tightened around him as he flooded her, filling her with everything he had.

The two came down from their climax. Junkrat collapsed on his back next to Mei who was panting heavily, sweaty and slightly disoriented from her orgasm.

“I love you,” she said, breathless.

“I love you too, snowball” he replied. “That sure was somethin’, eh?”

Mei smiled and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s been so long… I hope I wasn’t terrible.”

“You were perfect.” Junkrat snuggled close to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Sexiest thing I've ever seen." The two slipped underneath the covers and basked in each other’s warmth, cuddling and giving soft kisses.

Until a voice came over the intercom.

“Attention!” Mercy’s voice filled the room with a screech. “Jamison “Junkrat” Fawkes, report to the infirmary immediately. And I repeat, immediately.”

“Shit, she caught me.” Junkrat threw the covers back, climbed over Mei and leaped out of the bed. He grabbed the white hospital gown that was lying in a heap on the floor and threw it over his head.

“You snuck out of the infirmary?!” Mei sat straight up, clutching the covers over her chest.

“Let’s just say I had more important business to attend to,” Junkrat said. He bent over the bed and gave Mei a kiss. He hated to be leaving her, but Mercy was ruthless when she was pissed.

“I’ll be seein’ ya, snowball. As soon as the angel’s done chewin’ me out I’m coming straight back.” Junkrat limped towards the door and slipped out, sliding the door closed behind him.

Mei’s room was quiet.

Sighing, she lied down on her back and stared up at the blank ceiling. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Junkrat, what they’d just done, and how in the world that ‘hate’ could so quickly turn to love, and ultimately lust.  _ Did they rush into things too quickly? Was the sex too far? How did all of this come of just being trapped in a cave together? _

  
Either way, Mei decided to ignore those thoughts. Her heart and her body were satisfied, and she patiently waited for Junkrat to come back so she would have her new love in her arms again. 


End file.
